hughes



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. HUGHES. INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES. No. 371,323. Patented Oct. 11, 1337.

INVENTORI &JZW BY "1 ATTORNEYS.

N. Pumas, Phalomhngrzphcr. Wnshmgfiom u c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. J. HUGHES.

INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES. No. 371,323. Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

WITNESS INVENTOR W2 ueg I BY uaXA/Ywl/ A ATTORNEYS.

N, mums Pholmbxhosuphor. Wnshmglon. u, c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. J. HUGHES.

INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING MACHINES. No. 371,323. Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

BY Mm.

ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Pbalo-Lflhcglaphur. Wnshmglon, D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JAMEs J. HUGHES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INKING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,323, dated October 11, 1887.

Application filed March 15, 1887. Serial No. 231,013. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. HUGHES, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Inking Apparatus for Printing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide practical and effective means for causing a uniform distribution of ink upon the forms of reciprocating printing-presses. Much difficulty is experienced with the inkdistributing apparatus in common use,owingto adeficiency of ink at the inner edge of the form-the edge next to the iinpression-cylinder.

My invention has special reference to obviating this difficulty; and it consists, principally, of means for transferring continuously and quite rapidly the excess or oversupply of ink from the first set of distributing formrollers (those nearest the supplyrollers) to the second or third set, as the case may be, whereby each set of rollers is caused to giveoff an equal and uniform supply of ink to the form.

It is a well-known fact among practical pressmen and press-builders that the uneven distribution of ink upon the form next to the impression-cylinder is just as noticeable on the lightest and most delicate class of printing as it is on a solid form of the finest cut-work, and hence it is essential to have a thoroughlydistributed body of ink applied to the inkplate, so thatwhen it comes in contact with the stationary form-rollers they will each receive an equal share, and as the form passes beneath them it is essential to have this ink, which the form-rollers have retained on their surfaces, imparted to the form uniformly, so that the equality of the color when the sheet is printed will be uniform. I am aware that to overcome the disadvantage of unequal distribution various devices and ideas have from time to time been tried, and that the most successful has been a double-cnder printingpress with two fountains, two sets of fountainrollers, two sets of distributing-rollers, and two sets of form-rollers supplying the form with ink from each side of theimpression-cylinder as the reciprocating bed and plate pass beneath their surfaces, imparting a division of the ink from each fountain. This of course necessitates a large number of rollers and the waste of ink consequent upon using two fountains, and also the charging of all these rollers with ink, to obtain a result which I claim I can accomplish with one fountain with as good results as with two, and thereby effect a saving in ink and rollers. Pressbuildcrs have tried to overcome this defect by increasing the size of the form-rollers and relying on the size of the rollers to effect an equal distribution. I will state that the desired result has not been accomplished, for the reason that the difficulty lies in the fact that the first rollers receive too much ink, which cannot be avoided by merely increasing their size.

By my invention the oversupply of ink is taken from the rollers and carried to the next, or taken from the ink-plate itself and carried to the rear rollers,or the rollers nearest to the impression-cylinder.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a reciprocating printing-press,showing the main frame, the ink-supply rollers, the reciprocating bed, and the inkdistributing rollers arranged and operated in accordance with my invention, the other ordinary parts of the press being omitted, as they are not necessary to a full explanation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the line a a: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same,sho\vinga modification.

A represents the reciprocating bed constructed to receive the form and to receive the ink-plate a in the usual manner.

0 0 represent the usual inksupply rollers, under which the ink-plate it passes with each reciprocation to receive its supply of ink; and D D represent the ink-distributing rollers, (four in number,) which are revolved by the movement of the bed A and run in cont-act with the ink-plate a and the form in the usual manner. Above each pair of rollers D is placed a couch-roller, D, which rests in contact with the lower rollers, so as to touch both, as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

E E represent transfer-rollers acting in conjunction with the rollers D D to effect an equal distribution-of ink upon the said rollers D ICO and the rollers D, and through the latter upon the form. In the form of machine shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 the transfer-rollers E are reciprocated in a straight line to come in contact alternately with the two couch-rollers D D, and for this purpose they are journaled at their ends in the blocks G G, held in the frames G G, atthe sides of the machine. The blocks G are reciprocated by the shaft H and cranks H on each side of the machine, the latter acting through the levers I and connecting-rods J, attached to the blocks and to the upper ends of the levers I, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The connecting-rods J are detachable from the blocks G, and the frames G are attached to the main frame of the machine by the hinges b b, so that by disconnecting the rods J from the blocks G the frames and blocks and also the rollers E may be turned forward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, so that the rollers D D may be readily removed and replaced when desired.

In the form of machine shown in Fig. 4 the transfer-rollers E are carried from the inkplate a over the first set of distributing-rollers D D, and into contact with rollers backof said first set, as indicated in full and dotted lines in said figure. The blocks G, which carry the rollers E, move in curved ways K, and the said blocks are moved by the lever L, connectingrod M, andcrank N, secured upon the shaft N, in substantially the same manner that. the same blocks are moved in the form of machine shown in the other figures of the drawings.

The curved ways K dip at their forward ends, or ends nearest the supply-rollers C, so that the transfer-rollers E come in full contact with theink-plate a and receive a considerable supply of ink therefrom. Then the rollers E are carried to the roller D nearest to the impression-cylinder, to which rollerthe transferrollers E impart their ink. The roller D, thus charged, supplies the rollers D D beneath it, which transfer the ink to the form.

The transfer-rollers E E, in the form of machine shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, equalize the ink by transferring it from one upper roller, D, to'the other,which will give a uniform color throughout the impression.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the ink-plate is relieved of a considerable portion of its ink before reaching the first set of rollers, D D. This ink thus taken up is carried to the rear rollers, D D, which will naturally receive the smallest quantity of ink from the plate a, leaving the other rollers, D D, to get their equal supply from the ink-plate in the usual manner. By this means the edge of the form nearest the impression cylinder gets an equal share of ink with the other portion of the form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. In a printing-press having a reciprocating bed, the combination, with the ink-plate and the distributing form-rollers, of one or more transfer-rollers, and means for reciprocating the same for supplying ink to the upper surface of the set'of rollers near the impression-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the bed A, having ink-plate a, and the distributing-rollers, of the transfer-rollers E, curved way K, and means for reciprocating said transfer rollers, the curved way being formed to conduct the rollers E to the ink-plate, and then in contact with the distributing-rollers, substantially as described.

JAMES J. HUGHES.

Witnesscsv H. A. WEs'r, EDGAR TATE. 

